Last week, city leaders in Sandusky--a town of nearly 25,000 people on the shores of Lake Erie--swapped out Columbus Day in favor of giving residents paid time off to vote. The push comes as the country prepares for the 2020 presidential election, and amid a national debate about voter turnout and voter suppression.

“We were acting locally for local reasons but certainly we were inspired by the conversations happening at a statewide...